Periodic table teaching device



June 23, 1959 R. BRowNLEE, JR

PERIODIC TABLE TEACHING DEVICE:

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Patented June 23, 1959 Atitle 2,891,322 ERI'oDrC TABLE TEACHING DEVCE Russell Brownlee, Jr., Williamsport, Pa.; Martha A. Brownlee, `administratrx of said Russell Brownlee, Jr., deceased i y Application January 11, 1957, serial m1633579 1 claim. (ci. .as-18) This invention relates to an educational device designed as a means of aiding both the teacher and pupil, to familp 2 of elements. 'Ihe three blocks are demarked by intervening wide unperforated spaces 15 and l16.

At the head of each vertical column in the left-hand block, the numerals l to 7, inclusive, are printed on the pegboard, indicating the series of groups of the a elements, and these same numbers are also printed above the vertical columns of the right-hand block, indicating the b elements of the same groups, with the addition of the numeral 8, designating the last group of b units. The middle block could be designated by the numeral 8, since the iron-platnium triads are the a members of group 8, transferred, but as the middle block is set oi from the other blocks by the wide spacing, and thestudent knows that the elements occupying said block have been merely positionally transferred from their `a position in conventional group`8, this marking is regarded as unnecessary.

function may be designated` an element instructor, is to p provide a training aid that will develop skill in the acquiring of knowledge of the significance of the progression of atomic numbers or atomic weights, and awareness of the periodic `positions that form the twordvisions of periodic chemistry. t

The horizintal rows of pegs extending across the blocks 12, 13 and 14 represent the periods,` which are designated by numerals 1 to 7, inclusive, printed on the pegboard in front ofeach row. Beneath the blocks 12, 13

` and 14 are two horizontal rows of holes which have no Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical embodiment of the periodic chart or table, which u is an improvement of the conventional Vchart in printed sheet form, in that by reason of its three-dimensional character and the manipulatability of its parts, its furnishes an aid to the teacher in translating a dicult sub1 ject, and mnemonic assistance to the student in learning 4the positions of the elements in the table and the implications deriving from their relative positions, of prop- `erty, family relationship, etc.

y `More specifically stated, it is an object of the invention to provide an `element instructor in the form of a highly developed pegboard, in which the elements are represented by removable pegs, each bearing the symbol designation of the element that it represents, and the group and period positions being determined by intersecting rows and columns perpendicularly related, the element arrangement in this three-dimensional manipulatable chart being modilied with respect to that of conventional periodic charts or tables, in that `the ironplatinum triads have beenremovedfr'om their conventional positions in group 8, and placed between the a and b elements in the respective periods, norder to better `demonstate their bridge relationship to the a and b groups.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the fo1- lowing description of a practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specifica-tion:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the element instructor with the pegs in place, illustrating the novel pattern of arrangement of the groups;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the pegs.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 represents a pegboard provided with a pattern of holes 11, in which the holes as shown, are arranged in rows and columns both vertically and horizontally aligned. The holes are divided into three blocks, 12, 13, and 14, the left-hand block 12 establishing the positions for the pegs of the a elements exclusive of the iron-platinum group, the right-hand block 14 being for the pegs representing the b elements of all the groups, and the middle block 13 being for the pegs of the iron-platinum group reference to the group headings at the top of the pegboard. Ihese rows are respectively for the pegs representing the actinide and the lanthanide earths,` the former having been dropped from the `conventional position as members of period 7, and placed with the lanthanide earths so that their behavior as rare earths will be stressed. These rows are respectively designated by the letters A and L printed on the pegboard.

Figures 2 and 3 show that the pegs consist of a knob portion 17, convenient to holes when manipulatingthe instructor, and a reduced shank portion. 18 frictionally fitting the holes in the pegboard. The tops 19 of .the pegs are preferably flat, each bearing the symbol of a diler ent one of the elements. 'Ihe tops of the pegs may be differently colored to distinguish betweenl elements that are gases, earths, and solids other than earths.

In the above described element instructor, the pegs are arranged in the order of increasing progression of the atomic numbers of the elements, ratherthan according to their atomic weights, thereby avoiding several exceptions tothe law of periodic progression.

As an example of the mannerin which the element instructor is used, it is presented to the student with all of the pegs in place, constituting inelect a three-dimensional manipulatable version of a slightly modied periodicl chart. This thestudent operates, with the aid. oi

a supplementary manual of procedure. Heftirst removes one by one the pegs of the rst eighteen elements, -in the following manner, proceeding from left to right to the end of each period:

l. H--HE 2. Li--Be-B-C-N-O-F-Ne 3. Na-Mg-AI-Si-P-S-Cl--A He then replaces the pegs in their correct positions, with the aid of a table in the manual which shows the symbols of the elements arranged in the same pattern as the symbols on the pegboard. Associated with each symbol in the table is its periodgroup-number, abbreviated pgn. This is a number of two digits, the rst digit being the number in front of the period in which the element occurs, and the second being the number that heads the` finally becomes unnecessary for the student to refer to the table, :for he has memorized the positions of the 'first eighteen elements and noted Vlthat there is no duplication of thepgn, which-means that there in only one element to each group, this therefore, being considered an 'a element. j

The student vthen continues with the long periods 4 to 6, inclusive, removing the pegs, and replacing them with the aid fof the table, repeatedly until their positions are thoroughly memorized. He has noted that lsome of the pg numbers are'duplicated, and some triplicated, thus indicating a and b elements in certain groups, and triads constituting the iron-platinum sub-group under group '8,

these being regarded 'as a elements, and the noble gases as b lelements' fin this group.

This instructor presents the elements in the ,order of their progressive increase in'atornic number, and with There are many more analogies and progressions among` the elements that can be comprehended by the student through drills of this nature, built about the manipulation of the element instructor, by the aid of which the student learns, not only with the senses of sight and hearing, as he would with a two-dimensional chart, but also with the more massive senses of touching and holding, .audit is of course, well known that .the more senses that are employed in acquiring an item o'f knowledge, the more readily will that knowledge :be compre by those skilled in thev art that the details of constructwo or three-exceptions, in progressiveincrease in their Y atomic Weights, and the manual which aids lhim in correctly replacing the pegs contains tables which list` the `atomic numbers and the atomic weights, but with no other information, in the positions occupied by'the corresponding Lpegs when' in proper place on thepegboa'rdl .y p y i weights and other properties, said chart comprising .a peg By referring vto these tables, thel student becomes able from memory to associate the atomic number andthe approximate atomic weight with the symboll ofthe ele# rnentonthepeg-`- f The actinide vand llanthanide earth metals', thefpe'gs' representing which vare placed. horizontally across f the bottom ofthe pe'gboar'd, are'not listed according toa pgn, 'but rather intacco-rdancc with the letters a for l desig-A nating the row to which the ,element'be1ongs,its atomic Weight or number indicatingrits lplace in the row'1v tion and arrangement yof parts, as shown, are by Way of example and not to be regarded as necessarily restricting the scope orf the invention.

WhatI claims: i

Educational device comprising a three-dimensional chart of the periodic table, designed as a mnemonic assist to'learning the positional relationships of theelements in said table, and the significance of the onder of said elements in the periods and groups with respect to atomic board'having" holes therein, and removable pegs, one for each" known element, seated in said holes, each 'peg bearing the symbol ofthe element that it represents, the pegs being'arrang'ed'in periodsin the ascending orderofthe atomic numbers of the elements, said holes, with the pegs Having learned from memory the positions `of the elements, their symbols, pg numbers, `atomic numbers, atomic weights, and theprogressionl trends, notI only 'of 4the alkalinerand acid properties `off, theelements inlthe" seated ,therein being arrangedv in' yhorizontal `rows and i. verticab ,columns representing respectively the periods y and groups,`ithe pegs identifyingthe holes as to the ele# ments 'that they respectively repersent, so. that by ref'` peated removal andreinsertion of the pegs, the element represented by any hole in the pattern of vacated holes will be .readily recollected, thepattern of holes being arranged' in three blocks horizontally'disposed, comprising periods, but other progressively y'varying properties such Y thea and b elements repeating the first seven groups,

The student continues thisl drill-inutil thernames ofthe' families, "their 'members and vtheir analogons'properties` have been perpetuated in. his memory.

two similar blocks in extreme positions respectively .for

and an intermediate block relatively widely spaced from the extremely positioned blocks, representing the positions ofthe'iron platinum` triads, the rows orf said vintermediate' block being alined jwith the fourth, lifth and sixth Vperiod rows of said extremely positioned blocks lRe'lrerences Cited in the le of this patent s UNITED STATES PATENTS 281,770 Lamberet July 24, 1883v "1,520,666 Dietz Dec. 23, 1924' -*2,492,563 Flickinger Dec. 27, 1949V 2,793,459 Paquette Mar. 8, 1955 2,845,722 Midgley Aug. 5, 1958 

